Princess Kate's Emerald Earrings are a Sweet Nod to William

Princess Kate wearing a green hat and coat on st patrick's day — (Image credit: Getty Images)

As the honorary Colonel of the Irish Guards, Princess Kate has the honor of attending the regiment's annual St. Patrick's Day parade in Aldershot, England—and this year she added a touch of Boston to the celebrations. The Princess of Wales brought back the same custom Alexander McQueen coat that she wore to last year's parade, updating it with a black leather belt and a pair of earrings that she's worn only once.

Kate originally wore the Asprey earrings, which feature round emeralds surrounded by 72 diamonds, for Prince William's big night in Boston when the couple attended the 2022 Earthshot Prize. The emerald and diamond earrings never made another appearance, but on March 17, she finally sported the sparkling Asprey design again.

In 2022, Princess Kate paired the $11,375 earrings with Princess Diana's famous emerald and diamond choker, but the royal kept the rest of her outfit simple for St. Patrick's Day.

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Princess Kate wearing a green coat holding flowers — Princess Kate wears an Alexander McQueen coat with Asprey earrings for St. Patrick's Day 2026.

Princess Kate in a green coat petting a dog on St Patrick's Day — The Princess of Wales presents shamrocks to the Irish Guards' regimental mascot, Turlough Mór.

Tucking a black scarf into her coat, the Princess of Wales accessorized with classic black Cornelia James gloves and her often-worn suede Ralph Lauren boots.

She cinched her waist with a wide black leather belt and topped off the outfit with a bow-trimmed green felt hat by Gina Foster Millinery.

While the Princess of Wales has attended the parade since 2012, it was Prince William who previously served as Colonel of the Irish Guards. The role was handed over to Kate in 2022 when King Charles took the throne and she now attends the event solo, meeting with soldiers and their families as they mark St. Patrick's Day.

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Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.